


Hats Off To Choice

by katrinawritesstuff



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Other, Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-11
Updated: 2013-01-11
Packaged: 2017-11-25 01:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/633747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katrinawritesstuff/pseuds/katrinawritesstuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new poem from the Hogwarts Sorting Hat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hats Off To Choice

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And as you no doubt already know  
I sift through the contents of my young wearers’ minds  
And determine the house in which they’ll go. 

I may send a child to Hufflepuff  
For whom practical service is their life’s mission  
Or perhaps to witty Ravenclaw—  
The world’s natural logicians. 

The brave and moral belong to Gryffindor  
To fight oppression alongside their brothers  
The wily and cunning belong to Slytherin—  
They know the true motivations of others. 

But in whichever house you find yourself  
And I say this because it’s true  
That you decided long before I—  
The choice was up to you. 

This isn’t some OWL or NEWT exam  
This isn’t some kind of test  
I merely examine the wearer’s hidden gifts  
And hint where they could use them best. 

I see things you’ve hidden from even yourself  
Personality traits both good and bad  
The vulnerable side that you conceal  
The strength you never knew you had. 

But in spite of this seeming omniscience  
All my knowledge of your talents and flaws  
On Sorting Day, you’ll have the last say—  
The final choice is yours. 

And so it is with life itself  
We’re influenced at every turn  
And every mistake is either repeated  
Or viewed as an opportunity to learn.

Do we make our home in mediocrity  
In shallowness, cruelty and deceit,  
Do we lie face-down on despair’s doorstep  
Or do we get up and rise to our feet?  


Are our kindred spirits the brave ones  
Who let their heart have the final say?  
Or are we more at home among the duplicitous  
Who’ll say whatever gets them through the day?

I am the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
I’ll find you a home in which to dwell  
Craven or courageous, this life is yours,  
So choose wisely and choose well.


End file.
